TUR - Tanjevic expected back at start of August
ISTANBUL (2010 FIBA World Championship) - Turkey will receive an emotional lift at the start of August with the expected return of national team coach Bogdan Tanjevic. The veteran boss had to relinquish his coaching duties at Fenerbahce Ulker in the middle of this season to receive treatment for an undisclosed health problem but his recovery is ...
ISTANBUL (2010 FIBA World Championship) - Turkey will receive an emotional lift at the start of August with the expected return of national team coach Bogdan Tanjevic.
The veteran boss had to relinquish his coaching duties at Fenerbahce Ulker in the middle of this season to receive treatment for an undisclosed health problem but his recovery is apparently going well.
Turkey’s national team manager, Harun Erdenay, said this week that Tanjevic will miss the beginning of the national team preparations but should eventually be back on the sidelines with the players.
Erdenay also revealed that the man who took the reins of Fener following Tanjevic’s departure and has guided them to a 3-2 lead in the Beko Basketbol Liga finals, Ertugrul Erdogan, will work with the national team until Tanjevic arrives.
Assistant coaches Orhun Ene and Nihat Izic will coach the team and will be able to fill in if for Tanjevic during the World Championship if he has a setback in his recovery.
“I hope Tanjevic will be healthy and will coach the team during 2010 FIBA World Championship,” Erdenay said.
“If anything happens that we don’t expect, then Ene and Izic will coach the team during the championship.
“There is no change to bring a different head coach for the team.”
The sense of anticipation is growing in Turkey ahead of the FIBA World Championship.
The host nation will play its Preliminary Round games in Ankara against Greece, Russia, Puerto Rico, the Ivory Coast and China.
“The 2010 FIBA World Championship will be excellent,” said Erdenay, a former national team point guard.
“As we are playing in our own country, we want to be on the podium.
“In Japan, we finished the championship in sixth place. Now we want to do something much better.
“Our fans will be with us.
“We will use our (home) advantage as much as possible.
“For our group I can say that, as always, Greece is a very good team. Also, I think that Puerto Rico and Russia will be tough.”
There is a dream title game for Erdenay and many others in Turkey.
“I hope we play against USA in the Final,” he said.
FIBA